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ICYMI: With Controversy Growing, Sen. Johnson Refuses to be Honest About His $10 Million Corporate Payout

Posted September 21, 2016

Today the Cap Times ran an op-ed from Kory Kozloski, Executive Director of the DPW, detailing the serious allegation that Sen. Johnson's $10 million payout likely broke federal law. Last week, after years of what we now know were lies from Senator Johnson, the DPW filed a senate ethics complaint into the payout. Read the op-ed below.

Key Point:“For more than five years, Johnson repeatedly lied about his $10 million corporate payout from his former company, Pacur. He had previously claimed there was a prearranged agreement with Pacur. We now know that was a lie.

Why does that matter? It now seems likely that what Johnson has described as “deferred compensation,” was in fact Pacur reimbursing him for his 2010 campaign. Long story short, it’s likely the payment violated multiple federal election laws.”

Last week confirmed once and for all that Sen. Ron Johnson doesn’t think the rules apply to him. For more than five years, Johnson repeatedly lied about his $10 million corporate payout from his former company, Pacur. He had previously claimed there was a prearranged agreement with Pacur. We now know that was a lie.

Why does that matter? It now seems likely that what Johnson has described as “deferred compensation,” was in fact Pacur reimbursing him for his 2010 campaign. Long story short, it’s likely the payment violated multiple federal election laws.

Since Johnson has stonewalled any effort to uncover the truth, this week the Democratic Party of Wisconsin took action and filed a Senate ethics complaint against him.

Here’s what little we know. After spending $9 million of his own money in the 2010 election, Johnson was serendipitously "awarded" $10 million in deferred compensation from Pacur. Johnson claimed that it was meant to compensate him for the years when he did not take a salary. The truth: The deal was agreed on after Johnson’s victory over Sen. Russ Feingold in 2010, and he was made more than $1 million a year, every year, between 2005 and 2008.

Since the deal came to light, Johnson has refused to produce a written agreement on the payout, and more importantly Pacur has now admitted the "agreement" was created after Johnson won. Why is that such a big deal? In order for a payment like Johnson's to be legal, it has to be made irrespective of someone's candidacy — meaning corporations can’t lavish candidates for federal office in cash when they run for office.

The way to prove that this arrangement had nothing to do with Johnson's campaign is to produce a written agreement, signed before he launched his campaign. We now know Johnson’s agreement — if one even exists — happened after the election. So at this point Johnson must release his compensation agreement — if it exists — as the only way to possibly prove that the payout was not a way for Pacur to finance his Senate campaign, which is a violation of federal law.

That’s why we've on the senator to put this issue to bed and simply release the alleged agreement. He’s refused. If there is no agreement, Johnson’s sweetheart deal would almost certainly be illegal.

Unfortunately, this is a pattern that we've seen from Johnson time and time again. He has spent years in Washington protecting a rigged system for himself and other multi-millionaires. Whether it's his support for tax loopholes that benefit big oil, or opposing common sense solutions to allow Wisconsinites to refinance student loan debt, Johnson has protected a rigged system at the expense of middle-class families. There's no loophole too small or tax break too large for him, and the people of Wisconsin are the ones who are hurt. Middle-class Wisconsinites foot the bill for tax breaks and loopholes that benefit only multimillionaires like Johnson and his friends.

The truth is, Johnson's $10 million corporate payout is a symptom of a larger disease: one that allows the rich and powerful to set their own rules while leaving working people behind.

If Johnson did nothing wrong, he should release his alleged agreement with Pacur. Let’s be clear: Johnson could clear this up by releasing one document he says exists, but for whatever reason, he won’t. Maybe he thinks the same rules that apply to everyone else don’t apply to him, maybe he knows he broke the law, or maybe he just doesn’t care. Either way Johnson needs to stop playing games and come clean.